The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has reopened its reimagined Art of the Americas galleries, and the result is a fresh, joyful way to experience 300 years of creativity across the hemisphere. The eight newly organized spaces explore 18th-century art from North, Central and South America and the Caribbean — including works by Native American and Indigenous makers.
Visitors will meet old friends and new discoveries side by side: John Singleton Copley’s dramatic “Watson and the Shark” (1778), Gilbert Stuart’s unfinished portrait of George Washington (1796), Paul Revere’s celebrated Sons of Liberty Bowl (1768), and a powerful stoneware jar (1857) by the enslaved potter and poet David Drake. A recently acquired work by Mohawk artist Alan Michelson brings a contemporary voice into the conversation.
Timed to America’s 250th anniversary, the new presentation moves beyond the familiar story of exceptionalism and independence to reveal something more nuanced — and more interesting. As The Boston Globe noted, “America will never be finished,” and these galleries celebrate that beautiful, unfinished project.
The galleries are open now in the Art of the Americas Wing, Level 1 — a perfect reason to plan a fall visit to the MFA.
Photo: Meet Boston
